Video

Nov 13, 2016 | 01:23

France's far-right Le Pen hopes for Trump-like win in 2017

Far-right French leader Marine Le Pen says Donald Trump's win in the U.S. election enhances her own chances of winning in France's presidential vote next year and that the move to the right is part of a ''global revolution''. Rough Cut (no reporter narration).

TRANSCRIPT +

ROUGH CUT - NO REPORTER NARRATION
STORY: French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said on Sunday (November 13) Donald Trump's win in the U.S. presidential election enhances her chances of winning the France presidential election in 2017.
Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr show, Le Pen added that Trump's win showed that the impossible was actually possible.
Opinion polls show National Front leader Le Pen likely to win the first round of voting in France next April, but lose the run-off in May to whoever should be her opponent.
Asked by BBC Presenter Marr if Trump's victory made her own election win more likely, Le Pen said: "Yes, I wish that in France also the people upend the table, the table around which the elites are dividing up what should go to the French people," she said, according to a translation into English provided by the BBC.
Le Pen also rejected the accusation that her party is prejudiced against ethnic minorities. She said: "I don't think it's racist to say that we cannot take in all the poverty of the world... We're not going to welcome any more people. Stop! We're full up."
She also insisted that there was no reason for Europe to be scared of Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"There is no reason to be scared and this is for a simple reason, we have, France and Russia, a very old relationship and historically a relationship based on friendship and objectively, as you said yourself, Russia is a European country and so we'd better, if we want a powerful Europe, negotiate with Russia and have co-operation agreements with Russia, commercial agreements with Russia. There is absolutely no reason why we should turn systematically to the United States and why we should neglect Russia or even lead a Cold War with them," she said.
Le Pen expressed admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his brand of nationalism.
"As for me, the model that is defended by Vladimir Putin which is one of reason, protectionism, looking after the interests of his own country, defending its identity, is one that I like," she said.
Le Pen added that her party had borrowed from a Russian bank but only because French banks had refused to lend to it.
She finished her interview by claiming that the apparent rise in popularity of nationalism was not just happening in Europe but was the sign of a "global revolution".

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